HLF grants £5m to restore historic Victorian baths in Belfast
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has granted £5m (US$6.2m, €5.5m) to restore and redevelop Ireland’s surviving Victorian public baths in Ireland.
The project, which in total will cost £16.8m (US$20.6m, €18.6m), will not only restore the original features of the Templemore Baths in east Belfast, but will transform the partially dilapidated building into a commercially sustainable business, providing the local community with a new 25m (82ft) pool and state-of-the-art gym.
Templemore Baths was the last in a series of public baths opened throughout Belfast in the late 19th century. The heritage site provided washing and sanitary facilities for the families who came to live in the area, drawn by the Harland and Wolff shipyard and other engineering enterprises in the east of the city.
The complex is currently in partial use, with around 50 per cent of the vacant building and in various stages of disrepair. In the redevelopment, the baths’ historic features will be interpreted, and the social heritage connected to the site will be explored and used to tell the story of the iconic building.
The investment is part of wider £105m (US$129m, €116m) plans by Belfast City Council to improve the health and wellbeing of the local community by creating welcoming, quality facilities across the city with a wider regeneration impact.
“Finding a sustainable use for Templemore Baths has been a goal for the local authority, Templemore Users Trust and people of east Belfast for many years,” said Paul Nullan, head of HFL Northern Ireland.
“Now with ambitious proposals from Belfast City Council and money raised by National Lottery players, the baths are going to be transformed into a fitting leisure venue for people to use and enjoy.
“The new project will put the baths at the heart of the community once again, providing a boost to the local economy through the creation of employment and training opportunities whilst safeguarding this irreplaceable historic asset for the future.”
Heritage Lottery Fund HLF Templemore Baths Belfast City Council victorian baths visitor attraction heritageHLF introduces £8m Heritage Resilience scheme
Ros Kerslake named new HLF and NHMF chief executive
D-Day Museum, Lincolnshire bombers, Irish heritage and coastal towns all recognised in latest round of HLF funding
HLF study shows effect of 20 years and £1bn of charitable grants
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
From Nobu Restaurants and Ian Schrager’s latest hotel to Imagination Playgrounds and the set design for The Rocky Horror Show, US architect and designer David Rockwell always keeps it fresh. He tells us the secrets of his creativity